


Protection

by NewEyes



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27824569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewEyes/pseuds/NewEyes
Summary: "As soon as Charity stepped into the room she could see why Michael had called her. Maggie was doing her best impression of normal but she was clearly terrified, her eyes were wide and they kept flicking to her left side, focusing on something that Michael couldn’t see. But Charity could. There was a woman sitting next to Maggie at the table. Her skin was grey and her face blank, she was clearly not human, not anymore."Maggie's first birthday at the Carpenters.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Protection

“I think something is wrong with Maggie,” Michael said from the kitchen doorway. Charity took her hands out of the soapy dishwater and turned to look at him. 

“I don’t feel...anything malicious,” he explained. “But...just come and look at Maggie.”

“Hold on a second,” she said and dried her hands on a nearby towel. “I’m coming.” They headed back into the dining room, where Maggie sat at the table. As soon as Charity stepped into the room she could see why Michael had called her. Maggie was doing her best impression of normal but she was clearly terrified, her eyes were wide and they kept flicking to her left side, focusing on something that Michael couldn’t see. But Charity could. There was a woman sitting next to Maggie at the table. Her skin was grey and her face blank, she was clearly not human, not anymore.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I see her too.

Maggie jumped slightly and then turned to look at her, “You really see her?”

Charity nodded. “Come on,” she said, “let’s go into the kitchen so the other kids don’t come running through. It’s okay, it won’t hurt you.” Maggie jumped up quickly despite looking tired, and almost ran into the kitchen. Poor kid.

Michael asked softly, “What is it?”

“Juno persona.”

“Oh,” he said. “I didn’t...she looked terrified. Is it really that terrifying for you?”

“I’m a grown woman,” she said and saw Michael’s face soften with compassion at the evasion. “You get used to it,” she settled on, and Michael gave her a half-smile.

“So, I guess that means today’s her birthday?” he said. “And we didn’t know, and we didn’t get her anything?”   
  
Maggie had only been with them a month, but they’d been so busy dealing with other things, like getting her in school, clothes, lots appointments...they'd forgotten to note her birthday. There was no blame in Michael’s eyes but Charity felt ashamed anyway, Maggie was under her care.

“I better…” she nodded towards the kitchen.

“I’ll keep an eye on the other kids,” Michael said.

“Thanks,” she said and headed towards the kitchen.

Maggie leant against the countertop, looking with undisguised fear at the persona next to her. But despite her fear, there was strength and resolve in her gaze too, now that she knew she wasn’t alone, that there was an answer. 

“What is it?” she asked, as soon as Charity walked in.

“It’s called a juno persona. For a man, it would be a genius persona,” Charity could see Maggie had never heard the term. “Some places have a genius loci which is a protective spirit for a certain place. Well, families also have protective spirits, a genius persona representing the male aspect, a juno persona representing the female aspect. They only appear to the eldest woman and man in the family, and only on their birthday.”

“Okay,” Maggie nodded seriously.

“You also have to have a certain...gift to see them at all, which is why nobody else here would have been able to see her. You’ve met Molly, if she was here she would be able to.” If your father was here, he would be able to, she didn’t say. “A genius persona is passed from father to son and a juno persona from mother to daughter.

“I don’t really remember Mom, but I think it looks like her,” Maggie said, the corners of her mouth turning down as she looked at the juno persona standing next to her. “But it’s not a ghost? It’s not her?”

“It’s not a ghost. It's more like...a representation of the women in your family. Your mother is part of that, and she passed the persona down to you...”

“When she died.”

“Yes,” Charity said.

“Why does it look so scary if it’s here to protect me?” Maggie asked. 

“I don’t know Maggie,” she said.

“Maybe it has to look scary so that it can scare away anything else?”

Charity felt a small smile on her face, “That’s a good explanation.”

Maggie nodded. “Okay,” she said and took a deep breath, looking calmer and a little less scared. “How do I make it go away?” she asked, looking directly into the grey face. “Do you need to fight it with a sword?”

“You can’t make it go away, it goes away on its own at midnight,” Charity said and Maggie’s shoulders slumped. “But there is a little ritual I follow, maybe we could do it together?” she said and Maggie perked up and nodded.

Charity didn’t know if the ritual did anything. The first time her persona had appeared, a grey, dead woman with eyes like her moms, she had not been as calm and brave as Maggie. When it vanished by midnight she’d set herself to researching and figuring it out, but she was out of the magical community by then, and she’d never managed to find any truly reliable sources. It was possible the ritual was just a placebo effect but...it still helped.

“We need to make some offerings to the spirit, it’s supposed to bring you luck and good fortune,” she said and started to get the bowls for baking out of the cupboard. 

*

“It’s important you don’t try this by yourself,” Charity said, as the smell of burnt cake filled the air. “Fire is dangerous, so not until you’re older.” She held the skewer with the cake over the candle flame. Maggie sat next to her at the small kitchen table with a dash of flour on her nose, the persona sat across from them. Charity searched the face of the persona for any change of expression, anything at all...but nothing. She turned to Maggie and saw her looking hungrily at the rest of the chocolate cake, of course, she’d barely touched her dinner.

“Would you like a party with the rest of the family?” Charity asked. “For your birthday? We can get some candles for the cake and sing.”

Maggie shook her head and shot Charity a look that was so miserable and sad it hurt to see it on a child’s face. Of course, Charity felt like a fool. Maggie didn't really know them yet. A birthday party with strangers, loud singing, the persona in the corner…Charity understood. The cake was almost all gone, so she put the skewer down carefully on the mat next to the candle. 

“Do you want some cake?” she said. “We can sit here and eat it, just us two?”

Maggie grinned.

*

As it grew close to Maggie’s usual bedtime, Charity could see her getting more and more tense. She clearly didn’t want to be alone in her room with the persona.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You don’t have to go to bed yet, why don’t we make a special exception for your birthday and watch a movie together?”

“That sounds fun,” Maggie said.

As they sat together on the couch watching a movie, Charity knew she had to say something and she wished Michael was here, he was always better at this sort of thing. 

“Hey Maggie,” she said. “You know, today you must have been pretty frightened for most of the day. If you ever feel like that, you know you can tell me and Michael anything, right?”

“I thought it was just my imagination,” Maggie said. “I’m not a scaredy-cat,” she said looking away and her lower lip was trembling.

“No, you’re not,” Charity said seriously. “But even if it was just your imagination, Michael and I would be  _ honoured  _ to hear that from you. We would never laugh at you. If you are hurt or scared or sad, whatever the reason, even if you think it’s silly or stupid.” She rested her hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “You know you can always come to us.” Maggie suddenly looked up at her, and then in the blink of an eye her face was pressed into Charity’s shoulder and she was sobbing. Charity brought her arms up and wrapped them around the small girl.

“Why don’t I have a family,” Maggie sobbed. “I’m so lonely. It’s not fair.”

“I know”, she said and stroked her hand through Maggie’s hair. “Shh, I know.”

They stayed like that on the couch until, eventually, Maggie’s breathing slowed into the soft cadence of sleep; she had cried herself out. The juno persona watched them from the end of the couch and when the clock hit midnight, the apparition started to fade. For the first time that evening, their eyes met and Charity could almost see an intelligence there, the fierce protectiveness of a mother for her child. ‘ _ Take care of her’ _ , the look said, and ‘ _ I’ll be watching _ ’. Charity felt the warmth of the girl in her arms, met the woman’s eyes and nodded.

“I will,” she whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for the “It’s My Birthday Too” fanfic contest. Thanks for reading!


End file.
